Elision

Elision is the omission of sounds, syllables or words in speech. This is done to make the
language easier to say, and faster.
Example
'I don't know' /I duno/, /kamra/ for camera, and 'fish 'n' chips' are all examples of elision.

Elision mainly affects t, d after consonant as in Christmas = chrismas thet is elided.

Handkerchief = hankerchief thed is elided.

Elision affects the past tense ed as in I warned them = I warn them.

Elision affects weak vowels after p, t, k as in potatoes = ptatoes.

n, r, l as in police = plice.

Elision affects final v before consonant as in lots of them = lots o them.

Elision affects linking r and intrusive r:

1. Linking r when cf is r and the ci is a vowel, we pronounce the r as in far away =
far away.
2. Intrusive r: we add r when there is no consonant between cf vowel and the ci
vowel as in India and = [Indiarend] or in low and = [lorend].

Intonation:
Intonation is the "music" of a language, and is perhaps the most important element of a good
accent.
Pitch is the changing of voice from low to high.

High or low pitch is the level of the pitch. High pitch

Low pitch

Tone is the movement of the pitch or the behaviour. We distinguish 5 main types of tone:
Level tone, rise tone, fall tone, rise fall, and fall rise tone.

Fall rise fall rise rise fall level

Tone unit is what is said in one block. Ex: John is it you? We can pronounce it in one block
//john is it you// or on two blocks john// is it you// and each block has a tonic syllable.

Tonic syllable is the stressed and prominent syllable in the tone unit.
Note: in a tone unit there are many stresses syllables but only one is the prominent and the important one.
//John is it you// john// is it you//
TS TS TS

Head is the first stressed syllable until the tonic syllable.

Pre-head is what precedes the head and it is the unstressed syllables.
Tail is what comes after the tonic syllable.

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Ex: she brings a big car to me.
Pre-head head TS tail

Opportunity
Head TS tail

We have 4 functions of intonation:

Attitudinal: the attitude of the speaker finality: Stop talking or continuity: excuse me
Accentual: about what we are interested: she is wearing a red dress she is not wearing a
green dress but a red dress.
Grammatical: ambiguity. Those who sold quickly// made a benefit. Those who sold// quickly
made a benefit.
Discourse: when we share knowledge it is a fall rise tone and when it is something new it is
fall or rise. Ex: since the last time we met// when we had that dinner// I have been on a diet.

Pitch movement: (some cases)

Finality fall
Continuity rise
Surprise rise fall
Doubt and uncertainty fall rise
Yes or no question rise
Question of information fall
Listing (items) rise rise rise the last one fall

Note: the tail behaves as the tonic syllable.

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